L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano A l l i t t a k e s i s n i n e b a l l s , a f l a t s u r f a c e , a n d t w o o r more people to play. It's second only to soc- cer in popularity in Italy… and around the world. Any- one of any age can play it. W e ' r e t a l k i n g a b o u t bocce, that lawn bowling g a m e t h a t ' s a s I t a l i a n a s pasta and tomato sauce, a s e e m i n g l y s i m p l e g a m e played in every small village, m e d i u m - s i z e d t o w n , a n d sprawling urban center for a s l o n g a s a n y o n e c a n remember. Historians differ on the exact origin of bocce as we know it today but suffice to say that people have been throwing an object with the g o a l o f s t r i k i n g a n o t h e r o b j e c t s i n c e o p p o s a b l e thumbs became a thing. Per- haps the earliest evidence is a set of stone balls discov- ered in Turkey. Archeolo- gists date them to 9000 BC and have no plausible theo- ries for their use other than recreational. An Egyptian mural dating to 5,200 BC paints further evidence of a b o c c e - t y p e g a m e b e i n g played by two boys shown r o l l i n g b a l l s t o w a r d s a n object. Although we don't know the rules of the game played by the ancients, we do k n o w t h a t t h e c o n c e p t of bocce had spread east- w a r d b y 6 0 0 B . C . t o t h e Greeks, who then brought it to Italian soil. As the Roman empire became established, so did the culture's love for the game. Thankfully, the Romans were adept at recording their a c t i v i t i e s , w h i c h i n t u r n means we know for certain t h a t t h e c u r r e n t v e r s i o n o f b o c c e b e c a m e a m a i n - s t r e a m p a s t i m e a m o n g s t Roman soldiers. Highly pop- ular, the game was easy to play and required no special equipment or training. In between battles and expand- ing the territory, soldiers c o u l d g r a b a h a n d f u l o f rocks, find a smooth surface, and commence with a rous- ing competition to relieve boredom and stress. Other throwable objects came into p l a y , l i t e r a l l y , s u c h a s coconuts obtained in Africa during the First Punic War (264 BC), and later editions of balls crafted from olive and other wood. As the empire spread, so too did bocce, disseminating throughout the European territory and taking hold quickly. Initially, the game knew no social boundaries and was enjoyed by peas- ants and nobility alike. By the early 1300s, rulers of European nations were fret- ting over losing their mili- tary edge; too much time w a s b e i n g s p e n t r o l l i n g wooden balls about rather than on performing drills and arms practice! For rea- sons of practically – so they said – participating in bocce became forbidden for com- moners in countries such as France and England. A little late to the restriction party, what was then the Republic of Venice initiated an all-out ban in an effort to up pro- d u c t i v i t y o f i t s c i t i z e n s . A l t h o u g h d o c u m e n t a t i o n can't be found, it's a very plausible guess that bocce matches continued in many a back alley despite the pro- hibition! Playing bocce found its w a y b a c k a s a n a p p r o v e d social activity by the 1500s, but its trendiness ebbed and f l o w e d o v e r t h e d e c a d e s . T h a t i s , h o w e v e r , u n t i l G i u s e p p e G a r i b a l d i , Italy's great uniter, made clear his admiration for the game. A resurgence overtook the newly united country and its beloved place in soci- ety remains strong today. B o c c e c o u r t s a r e n o l o n g e r u n i q u e t o I t a l y o r o t h e r E u r o p e a n n a t i o n s . Brought to America's shores b y I t a l i a n i m m i g r a n t s , b o c c e p l a y b e c a m e w e l l - established in many Ameri- can towns and cities. The first bocce ball tournament was held in 1939 in Spring- f i e l d , I l l i n o i s , a n d t o d a y tournaments and clubs can b e f o u n d t h r o u g h o u t t h e country. In fact, one of the major international tourna- ments is held in Lake Orion, Michigan – an event hosted by the Palazzo di Bocce organization in their state- of-the-art facility devoted to bocce play, training, and p r o m o t i o n . T h e 2 0 2 2 I n t e r n a t i o n a l B o c c e Invitational was recently held here, and to no one's surprise, Italy came in first, f o l l o w e d b y I t a l y ' s t i n y nation within a nation – San Marino. And believe it or n o t , t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s placed third. Complimenti a tutti! You may've never played, e v e n i f y o u m i g h t ' v e watched the old gents gath- er around a court, strategiz- ing and tossing balls and a r g u i n g b e t w e e n s i p s o f wine. While the game has a h a n d f u l o f s t y l e s s u c h as Raffa, Volo, Petanque, and even Beach Bocce, the general rules and format are similar. First, a flat surface is needed. Official courts measure 13 x 91 feet, but for the casual player, a back- yard court can be any size that fits…or no court at all, j u s t a g r e e d - u p o n b o u n d - aries. Two to eight players a r e r e q u i r e d , a l o n g w i t h nine balls. Of these, eight measure anywhere from 3.5 to 5 inches (about the size of a s m a l l c o c o n u t ) . T h e remaining ball is the pallino o r b o c c i n o d e p e n d i n g o n where you're from - and it is about the size of a golf ball. Players stand in a designat- e d a r e a a t t h e e n d o f t h e court; a coin is tossed, and the winner throws the palli- n o – t h e t a r g e t f o r t h e r e m a i n i n g b o c c e b a l l s . I f two are playing, each gets four balls; if there are four participants, each gets two balls, and so on. The goal: get your bocce balls as close to the pallino as possible, and maybe even knock your opponent's away from the target in the process. If a b a l l s e t t l e s t o u c h i n g the pallino, it's call a bacio – a "kiss" worth two points! After all balls are tossed, the team with a ball closest to the pallino gets one point for that ball, as well as for each of their balls that are closer to the pallino than their opponent's. When the calculating is over, a new "frame" begins. After 12 (or 1 3 o r 1 5 … ) p o i n t s a r e e a r n e d , a w i n n e r i s d e c l a r e d . W h i l e t h i s i s a greatly simplified review of play, rules vary (unless it's tournament play) and can e v e n b e m a d e u p o n t h e spot: just have fun. What rules about bocce, though, is its ease of play for anyone of any age or ability. The game was adopted as a f o r m a l c o m p e t i t i o n b y the Special Olympics and ranks as the most partici- pated-in-event only behind golf and soccer. Italian fed- erations have incorporated Paralympic and Paralympic M o u t h B o c c e a s o f f i c i a l tournament events, allowing disabled and paralyzed ath- letes to compete. Bocce was even up for vote recently for inclusion in the 2024 Sum- mer Olympics but lost, com- i n g i n a c l o s e s e c o n d t o Breakdancing. While I gave up on break- d a n c i n g a l o n g t i m e ago, bocce is something that can be enjoyed into old age. I'm ordering my first set… how about you? PAULA REYNOLDS Bocce: waiting for your turn to play … (Photo: Francesco Remolo/Dreamstime) Bocce Ball – the world's oldest game is still a winner LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE TRADITIONS

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